Global Network

Building Business Reputation

Despite a growing business in Latin America, Google was being viewed as a U.S. entity. FTI helped to change that image, increase Google’s credibility among key opinion leaders and more effectively integrate its operations into the region.

Internet giant Google has been operating and growing its business in Latin America, particularly in Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica, Panama and Puerto Rico, for many years with great success. However, as Google set aggressive growth targets and worked to build the region’s digital infrastructure — offering an expanded variety of services and products to the small-tomidsized businesses that are the real drivers of gross domestic product growth — reputational and regulatory headwinds began to blow that threatened Google’s efforts.

Issues included the burgeoning belief (now reflected in recent European Union legislation) in a right to be forgotten, which would involve Google in removing links to disputed content. Also, as Internet volume and penetration increased in the region, questions of copyright came to the fore, as did concerns about safety and data privacy.

Finally, despite its long presence in Latin America, Google often was viewed as a U.S. entity, disconnected from the region. To see if Google could change that image, increase its credibility among key opinion leaders and more effectively integrate its operations into Latin American society, the company turned to FTI Consulting’s Strategic Communications segment in April 2013.